ASTROS LOSS CLINCHES TOP SPOT IN 2013 DRAFT

The Houston Astros lost their 104th game of the season on Monday, assuring them of the worst record in MLB this year. That distinction gives them the top pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. If ever there was a team in flux that needed some help, it is the Houston Astros.

The Monday loss dropped the Astros to 50-104 on the year, a staggering 54 games under .500. They are playing under an interim manager in Tony DeFrancesco, who replaced Brad Mills on August 18th. A managerial search is ongoing.

Next season, the Astros will switch to the American League where they will play in the AL west and have a natural rivalry with the powerhouse Texas Rangers as well as a ton of divisional games against the Angels and the upstart A’s.

Monday’s loss also marked another milestone for the once-upon-a-time Colt .45’s. The attendance of under 13,000 was an all-time low for Minute Maid Park as the club continued to be the lowest-drawing team in the NL.

The draft can be a good place to build from, if done properly, and Houston is at the front of the line for next year’s class of high-profile talent. When the team finished 76-86 in 2010, Mills first season as manager, it looked like it could be a team on the rise. But every piece of the 2005 World Series team is long gone now and it is time to build from the ground up. Good choices in selecting a manager and the top pick in next year’s draft are essential in getting it turned around quickly.